By Chenelle Fernando As relaxing as it may appear, working at home is bound to lead to eventual monotony. Co-working has claimed itself as a motivating concept ideal for emerging entrepreneurs and freelancers shunning inefficiencies and unproductiveness. Not only does it replicate an apt surrounding through the provision of basic utilities, but perpetuates itself to be a remarkable concept to boost one’s productivity. Brindha Selvadurai Gnanam of Hatch Works said: “The unique quality of co-working is that it encourages collaboration, creativity, and in an increasingly digitised society, it brings opportunity for people to interact and collaborate on an interpersonal level.” Going back in time, co-working was initiated in 2005 in San Francisco by Brad Neuberg. It is too wide of a concept to be worded plainly. It has revolutionised present day concepts pertaining to the office environment, and the practice of it acts as a testament to its evolution internationally. The general perception of co-working being unpopular was countered when we delved into it a bit further, right here in Sri Lanka. Surprisingly, Sri Lanka has its fair share of co-working spaces and here’s the lowdown. Hatch [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="full" ids="18425"] Dedicated to promote entrepreneurship through networking, Hatch is the brainchild of Jeevan Gnanam and Nathan Sivagananathan. Hatch is more than just a co-working space; it is envisaged as a hub for “all things start-up” by its founders. “Understanding the shift towards an entrepreneurial mindset and low access bank funding for young entrepreneurs, we wish to support entrepreneurship through networking,” added Brindha Gnanam. The operation at Hatch is inclusive of a range of services. Not only does it provide an apt environment for start-ups, it also collaborated with a number of industries and partners eyeing the common vision of helping start-ups achieve their respective goals. “We currently have on board PwC to help our start-ups with valuations and finance, SLASSCOM (the IT/BPO body for Sri Lanka), investment through the Lankan Angel Network, and CrowIsland. We also have in-house legal services,” added Brindha. Hatch provides incubator exchange programmes, with the most recent of its partnerships being with Tøyen Startup Village, thus setting it apart from the rest. Brindha said: “These partnerships are constantly growing and we’re excited to share the full list of partners when we launch on 24 January, 2019.” HomeTree Coworking [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="full" ids="18426"] Destined to be distinct from the standard setup is a unique hub located down Station Road, Colombo 04. This idyllic setting provides a breath of fresh air to one’s work life; HomeTree’s clever use of colour therapy is meant to grant its customers a heightened sense at each floor. If feeling rejuvenated is what you’re after, then you might find interest in their garden co-working room to feel refreshed right throughout. The café-like ambience at their “changemaker” lounge might be ideal for those who crave that cosy experience. Details matter – HomeTree is equipped with fixed desks, hot desks, private offices, and event spaces all available for daily, monthly, and yearly rentals. The inspiring workspaces mentioned above are all fully equipped with internet, firewall protection, tea/coffee, cleaning utilities, furniture, and security. “All you need to do is to bring your laptop and get working,” added HomeTree Coworking Co-founder Semal Luthra. Membership: Forest Explorer (full-time hot desk membership) at Rs. 15,000 per month Young Sprout (daily pass) at Rs. 1,250 per day Colombo Cooperative [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="full" ids="18423"] Located on the seventh floor of Amana Bank, Colombo 03, Colombo Cooperative overlooks the deep blue Indian Ocean, providing its patrons with picturesque views. The space was established with the aim of developing a community that not only comprises start-ups, but individuals from varied areas of interest, including IT, law, media advertising, and even digital companies. “You’d find small-scale start-ups here in this space, and we aren’t huge in comparison to other places. So because of that, my job is to bring these individuals together by connecting them. This not only creates better opportunities for these individuals, but it also widens the community,” claimed Amana Community Manager at Colombo Cooperative, explaining its distinct features. Memberships: Flexible desk at Rs. 18,000 per month Flexible desk: Side Hustler at Rs. 14,000 per month Dedicated desk at Rs. 28,000 per month Private office at Rs. 58,000 per month Community member at Rs. 7,000 per month Passes: Day pass at Rs. 3,000 10 days pass at Rs. 14,000 Resources: Eight person conference room at Rs. 650 per hour, Rs. 5,000 per day Eight person conference room at Rs. 1,250 per hour, Rs. 9,000 per day Hub9 Hub9 seeks to nurture start-ups and emerging entrepreneurs. Their own journey started off small when they rented out a house and made gradual advancements. Their ethos revolves around this very notion, for they seek to provide a setting for start-ups to thrive, instead of pushing them down to the ground. In Asian countries, there is a trend of parents and peers expecting instantaneous prosperity. Hub9 is designed to accommodate the fundamental workings of a start-up. “There’s nothing holding you down – you don’t have to make a deposit or pay any rent. We try to keep our prices as low as possible because we try to look at it in the start-ups’ point of view. If you get them to pay maybe Rs. 25,000 from the start, you’d be holding them down from the get go,” added Charith from Hub9 Coworking Space. It is one of the very few co-working spaces that offer services on a 24-hour basis. Seat prices vary from Rs. 10,000-13,000 depending on their location (down Fife Road, and Park Gardens). From having to offer meeting rooms, tea/coffee, and free printing services etc., it comes with no surprise that they definitely add the “start” to start-ups!